Cooking on the barbecue gives a delicious smoky note to the ribs of beef or pork. First you have to marinate them traditionally or dry, then they must be cooked at a low temperature for about an hour in the oven, in the pressure cooker, with the smoker or directly on the barbecue. The last stage of cooking must take place on the direct heat grill.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Meat
Step 1. Choose the right type of meat for the barbecue
Generally, pork ribs lend themselves well to being cooked on the barbecue, as long as you know how to prepare them correctly and pre-cook them at a low temperature for an hour or two. The so-called "baby back ribs" which are obtained from the part of the side closest to the spine are small, but rich in meat and fat; on the contrary, the "spare ribs" that are obtained starting from the first ones reaching the sternum are larger, heavier and easier to cook. You can cook beef ribs the same way you cook pork ribs. However, if you want to use the so-called "beef short ribs", which are very meaty and are made from the brisket section, the pre-cooking phase at low temperature will have to extend up to 6-8 hours.
If the ribs are frozen, take them out of the freezer the night before cooking and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight
Step 2. Remove the pleura covering the bones with a sharp knife
This is the whitish membrane visible on the concave side of the yoke. Insert the tip of the knife under the membrane at the end of the ribs. When you have managed to lift it, pull it with your hands towards the opposite end to detach it. If it's slippery, grab it with kitchen paper.
- Try not to pierce the membrane or the flesh with the tip of the knife.
- Discard the pleura after removing it from the ribs.
Step 3. Let the meat marinate overnight to make it even tastier
Prepare a mixture of liquids and spices to flavor the ribs with. You can combine different ingredients as you like, such as soy sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon or lime juice, sugar, cumin, garlic, onion powder, chilli, oregano, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- For a simple marinade, you can use 180ml of chicken broth, 180ml of soy sauce, 100g of sugar, 90ml of apple cider vinegar and 90ml of extra virgin olive oil. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and then mix to combine ingredients and flavors. Put the ribs in a large container, pour 2/3 of the marinade over them and leave them to flavor overnight, taking care to turn them periodically.
- Some cooks prefer to use a dry marinade. You can choose the version you like best. The liquid marinade penetrates deeply into the meat making it juicy and tasty, while the dry marinade acts on the surface of the ribs.
- Leave the meat to marinate for at least a couple of hours if you don't have the option to wait a whole night.
Step 4. Dry the ribs and discard the marinade
Drain the ribs and then pat them with absorbent paper so that the spices can adhere to the meat.
Since you've saved some of the marinade for use during the cooking stage, you can throw away the one in which you left the ribs marinating
Step 5. Rub the spices into the meat
Make an aromatic mix using a combination of spices and other flavor-rich ingredients, such as garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, oregano, cayenne, mustard powder, and brown sugar. Blend the flavors and massage them into the ribs with your hands before cooking.
For a simple and tasty mix of flavors, you can use 3 parts coarse salt, 2 parts chilli powder, 2 parts brown sugar, 2 parts paprika, 1 part garlic powder and 1 part mustard powder. If you want you can also add black pepper
Part 2 of 3: Pre-cook the ribs at a low temperature
Step 1. Pre-cook the ribs in the oven at 150 ° C
Line the pan with aluminum foil before inserting the rack on which you will cook the ribs. Place the rack on the wire rack with the bone side down. After the first 30 minutes of cooking, brush the ribs on both sides with the leftover marinade and then flip them over. Brush and turn them every half hour, letting them cook for 2 to 4 hours.
Make sure the meat reaches an internal temperature of 63 ° C
Step 2. If you want, you can shorten the time by pre-cooking the ribs with the pressure cooker and, at the same time, you will also soften the meat
Pour some of the marinade into the bottom of the pot. Place the ribs vertically, put the lid on the pot, turn the stove on to high heat for about 9 minutes or until the pot is pressurized. At that point, reduce the heat and let the ribs cook for 10 minutes.
When cooked, turn off the stove and open the valve carefully to release the steam and decrease the pressure inside the pot. Keep your hands and face away from the valve so you don't burn yourself with the steam
Step 3. If you want the ribs to have an even more intense smoky taste, pre-cook them in the smoker at 110 ° C
Turn the side with the bones down and brush the meat with the marinade about every 60 minutes. The ribs need to cook for 4-5 hours, until they reach an internal temperature of 63 ° C.
You can use any type of smoker for this process, the important thing is to keep the temperature constant. Try using cherry, apple, or mesquite wood shavings if you want to add an intense smoky flavor to the meat
Step 4. Pre-cook the ribs on the indirect heat barbecue if you prefer a unique cooking method
Grease the grill, then create an indirect heat zone by piling the embers on one side or lighting the burners on only one side of the barbecue. Place the ribs on the grill with the meat side down. Do not place them directly over the heat source. Let them cook for 30 minutes, then turn them over and let them cook for the same time on the other side. Brush them frequently with the marinade to keep them soft. After an hour, skewer the meat with a fork and, if it is still not soft enough, let it cook again.
- If you use a gas barbecue, the temperature should be around 110 ° C.
- You can soak wood chips in water and then place them on the bottom of the gas barbecue or charcoal barbecue grill if you want to add a smoky flavor to the meat.
Part 3 of 3: Complete Direct Heat Cooking Ribs
Step 1. Move the ribs to the direct heat area of the barbecue
Regardless of the method you have chosen for the low-temperature pre-cooking step, you can now transfer the ribs to the grill. Heat the grill you have greased with oil to bring it to a temperature of around 110 ° C.
Step 2. Brush the meat with the marinade or barbecue sauce
You can continue to use the same marinade you have kept them soft with so far. Alternatively, you can brush them with barbecue sauce every 5-10 minutes until a tasty crust has formed.
You can buy barbecue sauce at the supermarket or make it at home by following this simple recipe
Step 3. Let the ribs cook for another 20-40 minutes so that the meat becomes very soft
Turn them every 10 minutes to get a uniform cooking and crust on both sides.
When it's time to check if the ribs are cooked, stick them with a fork. You should be able to pierce the meat fairly easily
Step 4. Separate the individual ribs with the knife
Cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the loin and separate the individual ribs by carving them between one bone and another.
